Jake Paul was quick to remind Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. of his sordid history in their first face-to-face.
The two met the press on Wednesday to formally announce their June 28 DAZN pay-per-view headliner from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) began the proceedings with a measure of respect, though even that came with a backhanded compliment.
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“This is a former world champion, he has an amazing résumé,” Paul told the assembled media at The Avalon in Hollywood, California. “He’s following in his dad’s footsteps — coming short, of course. I want to test myself against the best.”
The fight comes seven months after Paul’s high-profile victory over Mike Tyson atop Netflix’s first foray into live boxing. Paul, 28, defeated the 58-year-old former undisputed heavyweight via eight-round, unanimous decision this past November. Their blockbuster mainstream clash went down as the most-streamed global sporting event in history, drawing an estimated 108 million live viewers.
Mexico’s Chavez Jr. (54-6-1, 34 KOs), a former WBC middleweight champion, now represents the second ex-titlist that Paul will have faced and in successive fights.
The 39-year-old son of legendary, Hall of Fame former three-division champ Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. — who accompanied his son on-stage Wednesday — has only been stopped twice in 62 professional bouts. That distinction, along with his going the distance in a 2017 shutout loss to countryman Saul “Canelo’”Alvarez, are focal points of this promotion.
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Alvarez vs. Chavez was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, a stakeholder in the June 28 event through unified WBA/WBO cruiserweight titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs), who faces Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) in the night’s co-feature. Golden Boy chairman and co-founder Oscar De La Hoya pointed out that a faded Chavez went all 12 rounds with Alvarez that evening.
Paul further drove home that storyline with his bold prediction of how things will turn out next month.
“I’m going to shock the world once again,” vowed Paul. “This is his toughest fight to date. I’m going to embarrass him and make him quit like he always does.”
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The comment drew a smile from Chavez, whose physical profile lent credence to the claims from his father that the former champion is already training at a feverish pace.
Such a dedicated effort will be required by a fighter with a horrible track record for not leaving it all in the gym. Even in a winning performance this past July — strategically placed on the undercard of Paul’s knockout win over bare-knuckle boxing star Mike Perry — the second-generation boxer arrived at a career-fluffiest 197.75 pounds.
Chavez has repeatedly missed weight throughout his otherwise respectable career, for the most part after his September 2012 defeat to Sergio Martinez which ended his title reign. He was also placed on suspension multiple times for drug-testing issues. The list doesn’t even include his trips to treatment facilities to treat his addictions, one as recent as last year.
There was even one occasion where Chavez flat out evaded testers. It placed him in hot water with the Nevada Athletic Commission, who placed him on suspension as a result and refused to sanction a 2019 clash with former two-time titlist Daniel Jacobs originally planned for Las Vegas. The bout eventually moved to Phoenix, Arizona — ironically, at the very same arena which housed Chavez Sr.’s 115th and final career fight. Their fight ended after five rounds, when a broken nose forced Chavez Jr. to retire on his stool.
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The development sparked a riot, though preceded by a moment where the elder Chavez buried his head in his hands, disgraced by the fight’s conclusion.
Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. was front and center for the kickoff promotion for his son’s battle with Jake Paul. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
(Luke Hales via Getty Images)
It’s been a slow road to respectability since that night. Chavez is just 3-2 post-pandemic, a five-fight stretch which began with a September 2020 defeat to countryman Mario Cazares in Tijuana, Mexico.
The other loss was perhaps his most disappointing, considering the opponent. Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is a combat sports legend but was a boxing novice when he outpointed Chavez Jr. in their June 2021 meeting. Paul went on to drop and defeat Silva more than a year later, via eight-round decision atop an October 2022 Showtime pay-per-view.
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Two wins have followed since that Silva loss for Chavez Jr., who promised a throwback performance against Paul.
“He’s never fought anyone like me,” Chavez insisted. “He fought Mike Tyson when he wasn’t even a fighter anymore.
“I promise, Jake will see something that he has never seen before. Boxing is step by step, and I will show that he’s missing many steps.”
That sentiment was shared by his biggest supporter.
“Mike Tyson only threw punches in the first round that night,” Chavez Sr. noted. “He didn’t even come to fight.
“This time, he’s going to get f***ed up.”
Paul may have skipped several stops in his transition to the world of professional boxing, but he never misses a beat when it comes to holding court.
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The social media influencer was still a month away from his pro debut at the time, but enough of a student of the game to vividly recall that viral moment of Chavez Jr. retiring on his stool against Jacobs. He’s also confident enough to expect to recreate that moment, to an extent.
The build toward Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has officially begun. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
“I promise you this fight is going to end the same way it always does. I’m going to turn you into another meme, with your head in hands and another disappointment in your son,” vowed Paul.
The comment drew a hearty laugh from the Chavez side of the dais. However, the family promises that it’s already all business in the gym and will be reflected well on fight night.
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“Jake is crazy. I think he’s overrated,” insisted the younger Chavez. “He hasn’t fought anybody in his life. On June 28th, he’s going to see what’s up. To start off, he’s never knocked anybody out. Give me one [legitimate pro boxer] he’s knocked out, just one.
“I need to prepare 100%. This is an interesting fight. It might not be easy, but I’m going to do the best I can to be the best person I am, but I think I’m going to take him.”
The claims of training hard for this fight did not impress Paul, nor has he limited his goals to simply beating the next boxer in front of him.
Chavez repeatedly spoke of preparation for this fight and his plans to silence his otherwise outspoken opponent. The younger Paul envisioned a significantly brighter future — one where perhaps he squares off the Ramirez vs. Dorticos winner next for his first career title fight.
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Both fights atop the June card will take place at the cruiserweight limit. It goes without saying that the WBA/WBO unified title fight made its way to the lineup for a reason.
“This is what I came here to do: To become world champion and create one of the greatest sports stories the world has ever seen,” Paul defiantly declared. “Going from Disney Channel to YouTube to world champion in six to seven years?
“That’s the most relatable and best sports story that any kid can get behind. I’m here to inspire the next generation and do what no one has ever done before in the world’s hardest sport, and that is boxing.”
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